
news.chapman.edu
Dodge Students Earn BAFTA Nomination for Their Documentary
Dodge College students Ruthie Weeks (’25), Madee Sabatier (’24), Rebecca Greenwood (’25), and Zohar Varadi (’24) have earned international recognition with a nomination for the 2025 BAFTA Student Award in the Documentary category. Their film, “Where We Once Roamed,” was one of three finalists in the category and the only U.S. entry in the category.

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Women of Chapman Fundraises for Student Filmmakers at Gala
On May 8, Chapman University’s philanthropic support group, Women of Chapman, hosted the inaugural Stars of Tomorrow gala at the Port Theater in Corona del Mar, celebrating five Dodge College of Film and Media Arts student thesis films. The featured projects were awarded a combined $52,000 from the Women of Chapman Endowed Student Filmmaker Fund.

Scoring Big in Hollywood
Tucked at the end of a nondescript street in Hollywood, a city known for its constant bustle and commotion, a group of Chapman students sit in the small studio of Hollywood Scoring in complete silence. Some are student composers, eager to hear their pieces played live for the first time. Others are directors, producers and

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Dhont Family Gift Inspires New Era of Innovation at Dodge
Inspire: The Campaign for Chapman University has received a transformative $1.5 million gift from the Dhont Family Foundation to establish the Dhont Family Innovation Hub at Dodge College. The new state-of-the-art facility will not only redefine cinematic storytelling but also expand global access to documentary filmmaking.

Oscar-Winning Deaf Actor Troy Kotsur Named Dodge College Commencement Speaker
Oscar-winning actor Troy Kotsur has been named the 2025 Commencement speaker for Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, the No. 4-ranked film school in the nation. The ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 24 at Chapman University’s Wilson Field. Deaf since birth, Kotsur, who gained international fame with 2022’s Best

Ready, Set, Travel!
It’s a little early to be thinking about what you’ll be doing in Summer 2026 when Summer 2025 isn’t even here yet, but it’s never too early to learn about the exciting summer faculty-led travel courses that are offered at Dodge College. Whether you’re into animation, documentary filmmaking or entertainment marketing, there are excellent options

Dodge Insiders: Students Helping Students
“Do you feel nervous?” It was a question posed to freshman Maddie Ulsheksy last spring when she attended Dodge College’s Preview Day for admitted students. Maddie said she didn’t — she was excited to come to Chapman — but Professor Eva Finn made an introduction anyway. “Well, in case you do,” she said, “here’s Mackenzie.”

Ticket to the Silver Screen
When she was in high school, Aiko Lozar was inspired to apply to Chapman University after seeing “Crunch Time,” a winning student film that was part of the Coca-Cola Refreshing Films program. Now a filmmaking senior at Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, she may soon be inspiring other students to apply to Chapman.

MFA Student Juan Zuloaga Eslait wins DGA Student Film Award
By the time Juan Zuloaga Eslait was a teenager, he knew he wanted to be a filmmaker. It’s not surprising considering that his love for storytelling began as a small boy, when he gave his Marvel and Star Wars action figures new identities and original storylines to play out. “I believe it had a huge

The Film that Led to Freedom
Max Karpman was given 15 minutes to make a difference: to expose how American teacher Marc Fogel was unlawfully detained in prison — five thousand miles from his home and family. Karpman, who graduated from Dodge College last May, was a senior in the school’s Community Voices program, a fully funded documentary course that gives

Veteran Producer Duo Return to the Arena with 'Gladiator II'
Dating in Hollywood is hard, but some couples have just got it figured out. Doug Wick, an independent producer, and Lucy Fisher, a seasoned studio executive, had specifically avoided working with each other after they got married in 1986. That is, until Columbia Pictures picked up Wick’s 1999 film “Stuart Little,” and vice chairman Fisher

Alums at SXSW 2025
Are you headed to the 2025 South by Southwest Festival? Many of our alums are! SXSW, which begins today (through March 15), features 11 projects that have the involvement of Dodge College alumni. For those attending the Austin, Texas confab, we’ve included screening times and locations below. The Accountant 2 Jon J. Lee